Turbine engines generally include three sections: a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. In some turbine engine designs, a duct, known as a transition piece, extends between the combustor section and the turbine section. The transition piece serves many purposes, one of which is to direct the hot gases produced in the combustor section to the turbine section.
Precise alignment between the transition piece and a casing of the combustor section is critical for proper engine operation. FIG. 1 depicts a conventional support arrangement for alignment between an inlet end of a transition piece 112 and a casing 124 of a gas turbine engine 114. The support arrangement includes a mounting bracket 116 secured to the transition piece 112 for aligning the transition piece 112 with the casing 124 within an interior 120 of the gas turbine engine 114. The height of the transition piece 112 in a radial direction 123 is adjusted, by selectively positioning shims between a base 115 of the mounting bracket 116 and a surface of the casing 124.